Letters from Egypt — 054 - February 7, 1865: Mrs. Ross

_To Mrs. Ross_.

LUXOR,

_February_ 7, 1865. DEAREST JANET,

It is quite heartrending about my letters.

I have 'got the eye' evidently.

The black slave of the poor dragoman who died in my house is here still, and like a dog that has lost his master has devoted himself to me.

It seems nobody's business to take him away--as the Kadee did the money and the goods--and so it looks as if I should quietly inherit poor ugly Khayr.

He is of a degree of ugliness quite transcendent, with teeth filed sharp 'in order to eat people' as he says, but the most good-humoured creature and a very fair laundry-maid.

It is evidently no concern of mine to send him to be sold in Cairo, so I wait the event.

If nobody ever claims him I shall keep him at whatever wages may seem fit, and he will subside into liberty.

_Du reste_, the Maohn here says he is legally entitled to his freedom.

If the new French Consul-General will let me stay on here I will leave my furniture and come down straight to your hospitable roof in Alexandria _en route_ for Europe.

I fear my plan of a dahabieh of my own would be too expensive, the wages of common boatmen now are three napoleons a month.

M.

Prevost Paradol, whose company has been a real _bonne fortune_ to me, will speak to the Consul-General.

I know all Thebes would sign a round-robin in my favour if they only knew how, for I am very popular here, and the only _Hakeen_.

I have effected some brilliant cures, and get lots of presents.

Eggs, turkeys, etc. , etc. , it is quite a pleasure to see how the poor people instead of trying to sponge on one are anxious to make a return for kindness.

I give nothing whatever but my physick.

These country people are very good.

A nice young Circassian Cawass sat up with a stranger, a dying Englishman, all night because I had doctored his wife.

I have also a pupil, Mustapha's youngest boy, a sweet intelligent lad who is pining for an education.

I wish he could go to England.

He speaks English very well and reads and writes indifferently, but I never saw a boy so wild to learn.

Is it difficult to get a boy into the Abbassieh college?

as it is gratuitous I suppose it is.

I quite grieve over little Ach met forced to dawdle away his time and his faculties here.

March 13, 1865: Mrs. Austin _To Mrs. Austin_.

LUXOR,

_March_ 13, 1865.